Just daydreaming

[skyhawk]

the recent thread introducing a new person from my home state of NC made me think that I should probably do an intro too.

Just here daydreaming and gathering intel.

I sorta learned to sail as a boy scout on the Pamlico Sound one summer. I've operated small power boats inshore and coastal my whole life (son of a Coast Guardsman). I even helmed a 75FT Gasconade Class river bouy tender for several miles down river as a kid. No experience though on any sort of liveaboard except a s a passenger on dive boats. Currently have a little 18ft Larson run about outboard.

but my sailing experience is limited to a partial completion of the BSA sailing merit badge many many years ago and many years later a bunch of "sailing in circle" outings on a friend's Catalina 22 in the Saint Johns River...and an afternoon trip outing on the the Gulf of Bothnia on a friends roughly 25-30ft sailboat when I was working in Sweden

Did a lot of fishing when I was growing up, later got into SCUBA diving (assistant instructor, divemaster, trimix tech diver, mixed gas tech., equipment technician cert.)..but haven't done any of that in years

Currently have a motorhome that we do weekend warrior trips in and my wife & I have talked about doing some part timing in an RV when we retire in a few years...but lately I've been daydreaming about doing a similar thing except on a boat. DW loves to go slow in our little boat, and so I thought a sailboat might be right up her alley. Mentioned it and got a neutral reaction...but mentioned watching Ruby Rose on youtube transiting the french canals. That really sparked here interest!
She spent about 10 minutes googling sailboats and quickly determined that a healing monohull is not for her, but a cat with it's windows and view, and large cockpit could be the ticket!

I'm 54 but still have kids at home. Probably 5 years out from a major downsize so realistically none of this is likely...but I sure do love the idea of cruising the East coast of the US and parts of the Carribean a bit...then shooting over to Europe for a season or two. Personally I'd be interested in Iceland to Scotland, England Norway, Sweden, Northern Germany, etc... but DW would probably be more interested in the Med side of things...

Anyway, thinking about finding a sailing class just for kicks.

[Cool Hand Luke]

Happy 'belated' Welcome